Method of preparing sole-blanks.



O. L. SMITH.

METHOD OF PREPARING SOLE BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. H). l9!3 Patented Jun. 18, 1916.

W/ TNESSESL VLi/VTUR Mo/ZM/ "UNITED STATES PATENT oninon.

' ORIN L. SMITH, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE v MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON,

JERSEY. v

NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW METHOD OF PREPARING SOLEBLANKS.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 18,1916.

Application filedApi'il I0, 1913. SeriaINo.7 60,277.

To all whom it m (27 concern Be it knownthat I, ORIN :L. SMITH, a citizen of th United States, residing at Swampscott, in .the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Im u'ovements in Methods of Preparing SoleBlanks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference charao ters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

' In preparing sole blanks for boots and .ghges it has been found that a great improvement in the quality and appearance of the stock is secured by sub ecting the blanks -t compression or condensation. The practice heretofore has been to apply pressure to the edges of the blank by using a mold comprising two edge diesmovable transversely of the sole and fitting the periphery of the sole all the Way around, and face dies by,

which pressure was applied to the faces of the sole. The sole blanks have been cut slightly larger than the molds and the prepared sole in order to secure the desired thickness of the edges and density, and this excess size-increases somewhat the cost of the stock. I have discovered a method. of preparing soles bv compressionwhich is .30 an improvement over the methods heretofore practised in that it compensates somewhat for this loss of stock and obviates certain mechanical difiiculties attendant upon the practice of the former methods.

In the application of Chester (I. Small Serial No. 747,951, filed Feb. 12, 1913, is disclosed a method of preparing sole blanks which improves them greatly. The present invention is in the nature of a modification 40 of, and an improvement upon, that method.

In the following specification and theaccompanying drawings I describe and illustrate one specific form of mold comprising .dies which may be used in carrying out my improved method, but it should be understood that this is only to aid in describing the lIlWBIltlOll clearly, and that the method may be practised with the aid of other instrumentalities than those shown and described.

tive view of a mold, comprising dies which may be employed in carrying out the method. The dies are shown in initial open position; and Fig. 2 is, aplan view, of the lower part of the mold shownin Fig. 1, the edgedies being closed upon a sole blank the ted lines.

In the practice of my method it is desirable to put the sole blanks somewhat in tem-. per beiore compressing them, and this is usually done by sprinkling them with water and then piling them up and allowing them to stand for some hours.

The mold illustrated in'the drawings is one which I have used successfully in carrying out my method. In Fig. 1 the mold is shown open. The mold comprises edge dies 2, 4, and upper and lower face dies 6 and 8, respectively. The forepart and shank pororiginal outline of which is indicated in dottions of the mold when closed are preferably out my method in the preferred manner, the v tempered sole i's placed in the mold and the edge dies 2, 4' are closed upon it as shown inlFig. 2, where the numeral 10 indicates the so e.

The sole blank is'preferably cut slightly larger than the mold around the forepart, as indicated by the dotted line .12, so that when the edge dies are closed upon the blank the edges of the forepart will be forced in wardly and upset. The excess of size in the blank is preferably reduced along the shank until it vanishes at or near the wide part 'of the heel seat as indicated at 18. The exact location of this vanishing point is not in a powerful compressing machine I material. The most important requirement i is that the rear edge 16 of the sole shall notdoes not require the introduction of blafnksv into a mold'of a length the same as or less than that of the blank. H

The edge dies being held together so that the blank is confined against lateral expan sion, relative approaching movement be tween the mold with the sole therein and the upper face die 6 is effected. Heavyface pressure is thus exerted upon the sole blank, compressing and consolidating its forepart. Since the edge of the blank is free at its rear end, the face pressure causes some of the stock in the rearpart of the blank to flow rearWa-rdly, the shank and heel portions of the blank being stretched o-r elongated. By

' exerting face pressure upon the shank and heel portions of the blank, as well as upon the forepart, most of the stretchlng'can be done in the shank and heel seat where thick- ''ness in the compressed sole is not essential,

as indicated by arrows in Fig. 2, and reduc tion in the thickness of the forepart is avoided as far aspossible. The machine in which operative quickly learns to judge from the.

I have used these dies is capable-of exerting a pressure of 500 tons upon a sole, but the amount of pressure required varies, depending upon'the quality and condition of the stock and the effect which it is desired to produce. The machine is. provided with means for adjusting the pressure, and an sole produced by former methods. My'invention also contributes materially to the practical success 'of methods of condensing soles or thickening their edges, in that when methods as heretofore practised-are modified in acordance with my invention, the carrying' out of the methods by means of automatic machinery, which is of course the manner in which such methods mustv be practised to make them commercially practi cable, is greatly facilitated.

So far as my method may'be practised advantageously'in' improving what is variously termed a tap, slip sole, or half sole, the terms sole and sole, blank as ,used in the specification and claims should be construed to cover such forms of soles.

Having explained the nature of my invention and set: forth fully howit may be pIfiCtlSed,-Wl1:1t I claim as new and desire to secure. by Letters Patent of the United States is for boots or shoes'which comprises confining the edgesof-thc forepart of a blank, applying pressure to th'e'faces of the forepart of the blank while the edges of the.forepart are confined, and simultaneously elongating the blank.

sure on the faces of the shank and heel seat portions of the blank.

2. The method ofprodtici'ng sole blanks for boots or shoes which comprises applying pressure to the faces of the blank and to the edges of its forepartin suchmanner as to reduce the dimensions of the forepart and elongate the shank and heel seat-portionsof 3. The method of preparing sole blanks forboots orshoes which comprises confining the edges ofthe forepart of a blank, applying pressure to the faces of the forepart of the blank while the edges of the forepart are confined, and exerting pressure on the faces'of the rear part of the blank while its rear end is unconfined. 4:. The method of preparing so'le blanks for boots or shoes which comprises applying pressure to the faces; of 'tlieforepart'of a'- blank, confining the edges of the blank from a point located at substantially the widest part of the heel seat around the shank and forepart to a point similarly located on the opposite side of the blank, and simultaneously exerting pressure on the faces of the real-part of the blank while its rear end is unconfined. p I

5. The method ofpreparing sole blanks for boots or shoes which comprises confiningthe side edges of the forepart of a blank to preventlateral expansion and, While the side edges are held confined, elongating the blank by pressure exerted upon its faces.

6. The method of, preparing sole blanks for boots or shoes which comprises upsetting the edges of the forepart of a blank, exert mg pressure upon Lne faces of said forepart,

andexerting pressureupon the heel seat of n the blank while the edge of its rear end is left free. Y

7. The method, of preparing sol'e blanks for boots or shoes which comprises. confining the edges of the forepart of a blank, exerting pressure upon the faces of the forepart of the blank while its'edges are held confined, and exerting pressure upon the faces of the heel seat of the blank while the edges of the heel seatin front of its widest part are held confined against expansion trans-. .versely of the blank-and the edge of its I v curved rear end is left free.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence .of 1. The method of preparing sole 'blankstwo subscribing witnesses.

ORIN L. SMITH.

\Vitnesse's: I

. James O. \VRIGHT,

Fmmniuon L. Emroxns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of "Patents,

Washington, D. C. l v 

